Over the last 10 to 15 years, China's legal system has significantly improved in many areas. For example, transparency has been enhanced through the introduction of an ‘open trials network’, which live-streams court trials across China. However, there is still much room for improvement. Human rights lawyers, defence lawyers and campaigners are frequently silenced, and courts avoid taking on sensitive cases that are deemed to be ‘social issues’ rather than legal issues. What plans are in place to improve the rule of law? How well do Australians understand the Chinese legal system? How fairly can Australians expect to be treated under Chinese law? Colin Hawes, Associate Professor and Director of Courses at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Law Faculty, joins James Laurenceson, Deputy Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) at UTS to discuss developments in China’s legal system and implications for Australians.
